San Clemente Ca Transportation

The city's first park-and-ride station has been established for car and van-pool participants. About 50 spaces are now being set aside for commuters by the Ramada Inn at 35 Calle de Industrias, near Interstate 5's Avenida Pico interchange. "We felt the area needed a park-and-ride," said Maria Lopez, spokeswoman for the South Orange County Transportation Management Assn.

The San Clemente City Council is scheduled to meet Wednesday to discuss the Avenida Pico widening project. As part of the project, city staff are recommending the approval of a $25,000 contract with Ortiz Enterprises to install a sewer line for St. Andrew's Methodist Church. They also want to negotiate an emergency contract, not to exceed $25,000, with Christopher Construction for the installation of a gas line for the church. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 100 Avenida Presidio.

The first "Beach Train" rolled into San Clemente on Saturday morning, providing more than 500 Inland Empire residents a new way to beat the heat and avoid traffic hassles. The trains, operated by MetroLink, will run every third Saturday during the summer, traveling from Rialto in San Bernardino County to San Clemente with stops along the way. Inaugural commuters, some of whom had never been to the beach, praised the service's convenience.

Concerns about losing local taxi service prompted City Council members this week to postpone a decision on whether to join the Orange County Transportation Authority's taxi program. The owner of Ginny's Taxi urged the council to reconsider joining the one-stop licensing program because its higher fees would put her company out of business.

The City Council recently approved a seven-year capital improvement program for street maintenance and repairs. Approval was necessary to apply for $400,000 in Measure M funds, the countywide sales tax approved by voters in 1990 to fund transportation improvements. Projects to be partially funded by the tax money include an Interstate 5 interchange at Avenida Vista Hermosa, an extension of Avenida La Pata from Avenida Pico to Avenida Vista Hermosa and dozens of street resurfacing projects.

The city is hoping to get a $4.5-million boost from the federal government on Monday that could finally pave the way for a 4-mile recreational beach trail running parallel to the railroad tracks. The Orange County Transportation Authority, which has made the city's beach trail its top priority, will vote on whether to grant the city $400,000 for fiscal year 1998-99, followed by an additional $4.1 million for 1999-2000 for the project.

The City Council has voted to hire five engineering firms to design 22 street reconstruction projects as part of a major roadway improvement. The work will be part of an 18-year, $49 million project launched in July 1995 to rehabilitate and restore about 60 miles of aging streets in San Clemente. This year, the city expects to spend $11 million on street improvements, with $15 million more slated for next year.

As the City Council prepares for a final public hearing Wednesday on a fee proposal to pay for street repairs, a group of opponents is collecting signatures to try to move the issue before voters. Under the much-debated plan, property owners would be assessed $1.5 million a year, between $18 and $90 a year per household depending on whether the property is on a public or private street. The city would pay about $2.4 million a year into the assessment district.

A 10-year road rehabilitation program would cost single-family households about $92 a year in property tax assessments under a plan discussed by the City Council. After painting a bleak picture of the city road system, Public Works Director Mike Sorg told council members Wednesday that the tax should be levied indefinitely to keep streets from falling into disrepair again. Of the 120 miles of public roads, about 60 miles are in poor condition, he said.

The local surfing community will hold the No Toll Road Trestles Surf Classic May 9 and 10, an event they hope will raise money for a legal battle against transportation agencies' plan to connect the proposed Foothill Toll Road to Interstate 5. Surfers say that, if built, the toll road lanes would cut through San Onofre State Park and across San Mateo Creek just behind Trestles Beach--a popular surfing spot for more than 30 years.

The city is hoping to get a $4.5-million boost from the federal government on Monday that could finally pave the way for a 4-mile recreational beach trail running parallel to the railroad tracks. The Orange County Transportation Authority, which has made the city's beach trail its top priority, will vote on whether to grant the city $400,000 for fiscal year 1998-99, followed by an additional $4.1 million for 1999-2000 for the project.

The owner of Dad's Liquor won approval this week to continue allowing Greyhound buses to drop off and pick up passengers in front of his store. The Planning Commission agreed 5 to 0 to allow the bus stop at 2421 S. El Camino Real for another three years. Commissioners Joe Oliver and John Tengdin were absent. The bus stop, which accommodates passengers traveling between Los Angeles and San Diego, was established in September 1995, moving from a site in front of Carl's Jr. on El Camino Real.

The City Council gave tentative approval this week to an increase in fines for illegal parking in San Clemente. The council had planned to raise the fines from $28 to $32. But some residents complained that even $32 was too low. The cost of parking permits is increasing by a greater percentage than the fines are, so law-abiding citizens were getting unfairly penalized, residents said. Consequently, the council approved a fine increase to $35, and $50 for parking in front of a fire hydrant.

The City Council has voted to hire five engineering firms to design 22 street reconstruction projects as part of a major roadway improvement. The work will be part of an 18-year, $49 million project launched in July 1995 to rehabilitate and restore about 60 miles of aging streets in San Clemente. This year, the city expects to spend $11 million on street improvements, with $15 million more slated for next year.

In response to the success of the Beach Train two weekends ago, an additional run has been set for July 21 to coincide with the city's annual Ocean Festival. The extra trip will come one day after the second scheduled Beach Train, which has sold out with more than 1,000 passengers. The first Beach Train on June 15 brought more than 600 residents from Rialto, San Bernardino and Riverside. The project was initiated by San Clemente to bring inland business to the beach.

The first "Beach Train" rolled into San Clemente on Saturday morning, providing more than 500 Inland Empire residents a new way to beat the heat and avoid traffic hassles. The trains, operated by MetroLink, will run every third Saturday during the summer, traveling from Rialto in San Bernardino County to San Clemente with stops along the way. Inaugural commuters, some of whom had never been to the beach, praised the service's convenience.

A major street resurfacing project along El Camino Real will begin today and is expected to be completed by mid-May. The $415,000 project will be done in separate phases to ease potential traffic problems and lessen the impact on local businesses, said Akram Hindiyeh, a senior civil engineer for the city. "The street hasn't been rehabilitated before except for some patching up because the funds had not been available," Hindiyeh said.